Receding compartment door



2 Sheets-Sheet l FIN srv brz We? Jan. 24, 1933. G. w. ISLEY RECEDING COMPARTMENT DOOR Filed Oct. 11. 1929 :l n 1] l -h Patented Jan. 24, 1933 GILBERT W. ISLEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO RECEDING COMPARTMENT DOOR Application filed October 11, 1929. Serial No. 399,027.

This invention relates generally to compartments, such as wardrobes, cabinets or the like, and more particularly to an arrangement of doors for such compartments adapted to be opened by being moved to a folded position within the compartment.

In compartments of the type illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 348,796, filed March 21, 1929, the adjoining edges of the receding doors are connected together with the conventional type of door hinges. In using hinges of this type, the hinge pins and other portions of the hinges project outwardly from the surface of the doors which would otherwise be smooth. These projecting portions of the hinges are objectionable because they destroy the finished appearance of the compartments, and are a source of accidental injury to persons using the compartments.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a compartment having receding doors with improved means for connecting and guiding the adjoining edges of the doors.

Another object of this invention is to provide acompartment having an improved arrangement of receding doors.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of a compartment provided with receding doors and embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the receding doors in open position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the hinge and guiding means provided at the bottom of the adjoining edges of the doors;

Fig. a is a section plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the hinge and guiding means provided at the top of the adjoining edges of the doors; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, with parts broken away;

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view showing another compartment provided with receding doors and embodying my invention;

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation showing the receding doors in open position; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational View of the guiding means provided at the lower edge of one of the single doors shown in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of the guiding means provided at the upper edge of one of the single doors shown in Fig. 8.

In the drawings illustrating the devices of my invention, 1 have shown compartments provided with pairs of receding doors adapt: ed to form closures for the compartments when in one position, and adapted to recede into the compartment and assume a folded position'when moved to permit access to the compartments.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, a single pair of doors 10 is provided for closing the compartment 11, which may be a wardrobe or any similar cabinet. l/Vhen these doors are in position to close the opening leading into the compartment, the doors are in the dotted line position with their adjoiningedges in abutting relation, and with their remote edges in engagement with the door jambs 12. hen the doors are opened, that is to say, are moved to permit access to the compartment,they recede into the compartment and assume a folded position, as shown in full lines in the drawings.

For supporting the pair of doors any suitable means may be employed, but in this instance I provide each of the doors with a pair of supporting arms 13. Each pair of arms comprises a lower arm 14 and an upper arm 15. The lower arm 1a is arranged with one end pivotally mounted in a suitable bracket 16, which is secured to the floor of the room or to the bottom of the compartment, and its opposite end pivotally secured to the door adjacent its vertical center line by means of the clip 17. The upper arm 15 is arranged with one end pivotally mounted in a suitable bracket 18, which is secured to the ceiling of the room or to the top of the compartment, and with its opposite end pivotally secured to the door adjacent its vertical center line by means of the clip 19.

In order that the doors, constituting the pair of receding doors, may operate in unison, I provide means for hingedly connecting the adjoining edges of the doors together. The bottom hinge 20 and the top hinge 21, which are shown respectively in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, comprise pairs of plates 22 secured to the doors adjacent their adj oining edges, and connecting members 23 having their opposite ends pivotally connected to the plates of the respective pairs adjacent their mid-points. The point of connection between the connecting member 23 and the plates 22 need not be at the mid-point of the plates as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings but, if desired, may be located at or adjacent either end of the plates, depending upon the distance which it is desired to have the doors spaced apart when they are in the open or folded position.

For the purposes of guiding the lower ends of the hinged edges during the movement of the doors to open and closed positions, I provide a lower guide 24, constructed in the form of a T bar, which extends into the compartment at substantially right angles to the closed position of the doors, and is secured to the floor of the room or the bottom of the compartment. The connecting member 23 of the lower hinge is provided with an extension 25 having a groove therein adapted to slide upon one leg of the guide 24. For guiding the upper ends of the hinged edges during themovements of the doors, I provide a channel-shaped guide member 26, which extends into the compartment at substantially right angles to the closed position of the doors and is secured to the ceiling of the room or to the top of the compartment. A T- shaped extension 27 carried by the connecting member of the top hinge engages in the channel-shaped guide and is adapted to be reciprocated therein as the doors are moved to open and closed positions.

It will thus be readily seen that I have provided an arrangement of receding compartment doors having hinge means for connecting their adjoining edges, which is substantially flush with the surface of the doors, and eliminates the necessity for having objectionable port-ions projecting outwardly from the surface of the doors. WVith this arrangement, the surfaces of the doors always present a smooth and finished appearance when the doors are in closed position.

In the construction of the larger size compartments of the type herein disclosed, it is frequently desirable to employ an arrangement of doors which will aiford spacious entry openings of equal size, and in Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a compartment 27 having such an arrangement of doors. This arrangement comprises a pair of doors 28 for closing the central portion of the opening leading into the compartment and end or single doors 29 for closing the end portions of this opening. The pair of doors 28 is in all respects substantially identical with the pair of doors provided in the compartment shown in Fig. 1. Each door of this pair is supported by a pair of pivoted brackets comprising an upper bracket 30 and a lower bracket 31. At the lower end of the adjoining edges of the doors 28 I provide a hinge 32, which is identical with the hinge 20 shown in Fig. 3, and is provided with an extension 33, adapted to slide on the guide 34:. At the upper end of the adjoining edges of the doors I provide a hinge 36, which is identical with the hinge 21 shown in Fi 5, and is provided with a T-shaped extension 35, adapted to slide in the guide channel 37. Each of the single doors 29 iss-upported in a suitable manner, as by a pair of pivoted brackets comprising a lower bracket 38 and an upper bracket 39, arranged and mounted in the manner already described in connection with the brackets for lower end of the outer edges or these and the hinge 41, shown in l upper end of the outer edges of these (1001's The hinge 40 comprises a plate 9 s to the door, and an extension or pivoted t-l'iereto. The follower is provided with slot which slides upon one of guide'dt. The hinge 41 comprises a plate 45, secured to the door, and an extension or follower 46 pivoted to the plate. The follower is provided with a T-shaped head 47 adapted to engage in the guide 48. 1

When the doors are in position to close the compartment the remote edges of the doors 28 are in abutting relation with the'inner edges of the end doors 29, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7. When the doors are moved to open the compartment the doors 28 assume afolded position centrally within the compartment, and the end doors 29 assume positions parallel with the end walls of the compartment as shown in full lines in Fig. 7.

This arrangement of doors, it will'be readily seen, affords spacious openings of equal size leading into the compartment. It will also be apparent that the hinge and guiding means which I have provided presents a surface substantially flush with the surface of the doors, and do not detract from the finished appearance of the compartment.

While I have shown and described the apparatus of my invention in a detailed manner, it should be understood, however, that I do not limit my invention to the precise oetails shown and described, but regard my invention as including such changes and modiprovide the hinge 40, shown in l ig. 9, at he to l th e

its:

fications as do not involve a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. The combination with a compartment having an opening to be closed, of a pair of doors for closing said openin said doors having edges thereof in adjoining relation,

means supporting said doors whereby said adjoining edges are adapted to recede into said compartment during opening movement, means extending into said compartment for guiding said adjoining edges, a

member supported by the guiding means, said member having oppositely extending arm portions, and means pivotally connecting said arm port-ions with said doors.

2. The combination with a compartment having an opening to be closed, of a pair of doors for closing said opening, said doors having edges thereof in adjoining relation, means supporting said doors whereby said adjoining edges are adapted to recede into said compartment during opening movement, means extending into said compartment for guiding said adjoining edges, a member supported by the guiding means, said member having oppositely extending ends and being arranged to span said adjoining edges, and means pivotally connecting the said ends of said member with said doors, the axes of the pivotal connections between said member and said doors being located substantially in the plane of the outer faces of the doors.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

GILBERT W. ISLEY. 

